Automatic conversion device driver of device type data

ABSTRACT

Without changing the setting of the existing device&#39;s own data, the device type data acquired from an ATAPI device and the device type data which can be recognized by the operating system are compared, and when the both device type data are not matched, the device type data acquired from the ATAPI device is converted into the device type data which can be recognized by the operating system.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/573,472, filed May 17, 2000 U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,016, which is a Continuation of PCT International Application PCT/JP99/05065, Sep. 17, 1999.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automatic conversion device driver of device type data (hereinafter referred to simply as “DT data”) for changing the setting automatically, in case an operating system (hereinafter referred to simply as “OS”) of a system cannot recognize the DT data of a certain device connected to the system, so that it can be recognized by the OS of the system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hitherto, if connected to a certain device having fixed DT data which cannot be recognized by the OS of a certain system, the system could not recognize the DT data of the connected device. As a method of recognizing the DT data of the device by the OS of the system, it is known to change the region of storing the DT data of the device so that the DT data may be recognized by the OS of the system. In this method, the device's specific DT data is changed according to the specific DT data that can be recognized by the OS of the system to which the device is connected.

In the conventional DT data converting method, the design is limited in that the device must have DT data conforming to the DT data which can be recognized by the OS of the system to which the device is connected.

Yet, in the device designed to recognize the DT data by other OS, when connected to an OS that cannot recognize this DT data, the OS cannot recognize the DT data of this device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to solve these problems by providing the system with an automatic conversion device driver. In the automatic conversion device driver of the invention, the DT data of the device having the DT data which cannot be recognized by the OS of the system to which it is connected is automatically changed in setting so that it can be recognized by this OS, without changing the setting of the own data of the existing device. It is hence an object of the invention to present an automatic conversion device driver of the DT data.

The means of solving the problems is described below.

The automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention acquires the DT data from the device conforming to AT Attachment Packet Interface standard (hereinafter referred to simply as “ATAPI device”).

If the DT data of the ATAPI device stored in the DT data storage region of the ATAPI device driver cannot be recognized by the OS of the system to which the ATAPI device is connected,

(a) The ATAPI device driver changes the DT data stored in the DT data storage region of the ATAPI device driver, into the DT data which can be recognized by the OS stored in the DT data storage region which can be recognized by the OS of the ATAPI device driver,

(b) The ATAPI device driver returns the changed DT data to the OS of the connected system, and

(c) Without changing the setting of the existing device's own data, the setting is changed automatically so as to be recognized by the OS of the system which cannot recognize this DT data.

Hence, no particular design is required in the device. As a result, there is no problem when connecting the device to the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is flowchart which is useful for clarifying the steps shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the invention is described below while referring to the drawings.

Exemplary Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic conversion device driver. FIG. 3 clarifies the steps shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention comprises:

(a) an ATAPI device 1,

(b) a DT data storage region 2 in the ATAPI device 1,

(c) a RAM 3 in a computer,

(d) an OS 4 on the RAM 3,

(e) an ATAPI device driver 5 disposed on the RAM 3 for controlling the ATAPI device 1,

(f) a DT data storage region 6 capable of recognizing the OS 4, being disposed in the ATAPI device driver 5,

(g) a DT data storage region 7 acquired from the ATAPI device 1, being disposed in the ATAPI device driver 5,

(h) an ATAPI adapter 8 for making an access to the ATAPI device 1, and

(i) a processor 9.

The processor 9

(a) is connected to the ATAPI device 1 through the ATAPI adapter 8,

(b) responds to the I/O request from the application program under the OS 4.

The Os 4 creates a request packet to the I/O request according to this I/O request and sends this request packet to the ATAPI device driver 5,

The request packet is used in exchange of data between the OS 4 and the ATAPI device drive 5.

In this request packet, the instruction (command) requested by the OS 4 to the ATAPI device driver 5 is set. The ATAPI device driver 5, in order to communicate with the OS 4, interprets and executes this instruction.

The ATAPI device driver 5

(a) converts the request packet issued by the OS 4 into a request packet which can be interpreted by the ATAPI device 1, and

(b) communicates with the ATAPI device 1.

This request packet issued by the OS 4 is created in a format that can be interpreted by the OS 4 and the ATAPI device driver 5 alone. Therefore, the ATAPI device 1 cannot interpret this request packet directly. Accordingly, the ATAPI device driver 5 converts this request packet into a request packet which can be interpreted by the ATAPI device 1. That is, the ATAPI device driver 5 acts as a mediator between the OS 4 and the ATAPI device 1.

The operation of the automatic conversion device driver of DT data having such configuration is shown in a flowchart in FIG. 2.

Step 1: When the computer is started, the OS 4 and ATAPI device driver 5 are incorporated into the RAM 3 in the computer.

Step 2: The ATAPI device driver 5 stores the DT data which can be recognized by the OS 4, in the DT data storage region 6.

The DT data that can be recognized by the OS 4 may be mentioned in the reference manual of the OS. The programmer of the ATAPI device driver 5 incorporates the DT data list mentioned in the manual and the processing program depending on the DT data into the program code.

Therefore, the ATAPI device driver 5 can save the DT data that can be recognized by the OS 4 in the DT data storage region 6.

Step 3: The ATAPI device driver 5 confirms that the ATAPI device 1 is connected on the system when the ATAPI device 1 reads the register in the DT data storage region 2 of the ATAPI device 1 through ATAPI adapter 8.

When connection of ATAPI device 1 and ATAPI device driver 5 is confirmed, the process advances to step 4.

If not connected, the process is interrupted and terminated.

Step 4: The OS 4 requests DT data to the ATAPI device 1 through the ATAPI device driver 5.

Step 5: The ATAPI device driver 5 issues a device command corresponding to the request of DT data from the OS 4, to the ATAPI device 1.

Step 6: The ATAPI device driver 5 acquires the data in the DT data storage region 2 of the ATAPI device 1, and stores in the DT data storage region 7.

Step 7: The ATAPI device driver 5 acquires the DT data from the DT data storage region 6 and DT data storage region 7, and DT data storage region 6 and DT data storage region 7 are compared.

As a result of this comparison:

When both of these DT data are not matched, the process advances to step 8.

When both of these DT data are matched, the process skips to step 9.

Step 8: The ATAPI device driver 5 replaces the value of the DT data in the DT data storage region 7 with the value of DT data in the DT data storage region 6.

That is, usually, a specific number is determined for each device type that can be recognized by the OS 4. Therefore, any device type that cannot be recognized directly by the OS 4 is not assigned with a specific number that can be recognized by the OS 4. At step 7, if the DT data in the DT data storage region 6 and the DT data in the DT data storage region 7 are not matched, the DT data in the DT data storage region 7 is the device type not recognized directly by the OS 4. In this case, the ATAPI device driver 5 replaces the number data in the DT data storage region acquired from the ATAPI device 1 with the number of the device type that can be recognized by the OS 4.

Step 9: The ATAPI device driver 5 returns the DT data of the DT data storage region 7 to the OS 4.

Thus, without changing directly the DT data in the device's own DT data storage region 2 possessed by the ATAPI device 1 itself, the setting is changed automatically so that the DT data of the DT data storage region 2 of the ATAPI device 1 not recognized by the OS 4 can be recognized by the OS 4.

Industrial applicability

Hitherto, the ATAPI device driver was not composed in the RAM. Therefore, when a certain system is connected with a device having a fixed DT data that cannot be recognized by its own OS, the system cannot recognize the DT data of the connected device.

Thus, according to the automatic conversion device driver of DT data of the invention, if the device's own DT data possessed by the ATAPI device itself cannot be recognized by the OS of the system to which it is connected, the DT data in the ATAPI device driver is changed in setting to the DT data which can be recognized by the OS. As a result, the OS of the system can recognize the DT data of the ATAPI device. Therefore, it is not necessary to design so that the device may have the DT data conforming to the DT data which can be recognized by the OS of the system, and the invention brings about an effect of connecting the device to the system easily. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device driver used with an operating system comprising: means for acquiring device type data from a device; means for changing the device type data into device type data which is recognized by the operating system if the acquired device type data is determined to be unrecognizable by the operating system; and means for returning the changed device type data to the operating system.
 2. A method for returning device type data from a device to an operating system, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring said device type data from the device; changing the device type data into device type data which is recognized by the operating system if the acquired device type data is determined to be unrecognizable by the operating system; and returning the changed device type data to the operating system.
 3. A device driver comprising means for storing first device type data of a device connected thereto; means for storing second device type data that can be recognizable by an operating system (OS); means for sending the second device type data to the OS in place of the first device type data if the first device type data is not recognizable by the OS.
 4. A method of converting device type data, comprising the steps of: storing first device type data of a device; storing second device type data that is recognizable by an operating system (OS); and sending the second device type data to the OS in place of the first device type data if the first device type data is not recognizable by the OS.
 5. A method of converting device type data in a computer including first and second memories, comprising the steps of: storing, in the first memory, first device type data of a device; storing, in the second memory, second device type data that is recognizable by an operating system (OS); and sending the second device type data to the OS in place of the first device type data if the first device type data is not recognizable by the OS. 